gratitude to the people of connecticut who have entrusted me with the privilege of public service for 40 years. the last 24 in the united states senate. gratitude to my senate colleagues i've come to know as friends and with whom it has been such an honor to serve. gratitude to all the people without whose help, hard work and support i never would have made it to the senate or stayed here. the gifted and hard-working staff in connecticut and washington who supported and informed and enriched my service here, and the volunteers in my campaigns who gave so much and asked for nothing in return except that i do what i believed was right. gratitude to all those who labor out of view in the corridors of this capitol building, from the maintenance crews to the capitol police and everybody else anywhere in this building. thank you for keeping our capitol running and keeping us safe. gratitude most of all, of course, to my family for the love, support, and inspiration they've given me every day of my life. my parents, grandparents, and siblings, my children and grandchildren, and hadosa, my wi